Apple working on large-screen iPod Touch

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Apple is expected to release an iPod Touch device with a 7- to 9-inch screen in the fall of 2009, according to a report on TechCrunch that cites three independent sources.

One of TechCrunch's sources claims to have actually handled one of the prototypes, and Apple is talking with manufacturers in Asia about mass production of the device, according to the report.

Certainly at that size, the device would be more of a tablet than an iPod, and tablet rumors have been floating around Apple for years.

There was a fury of speculation in August after a number of Mac sites pointed to a U.S. patent application granted for what would appeared to be the mythical Mac tablet. AppleInsider published a description of the device discussed in the application, which appears to bring a lot of the iPhone's multitouch functionality to a slate-like tablet computer.

Earlier this year, CEO Steve Jobs implied Apple was watching small-device categories like tablets and Netbooks to see if they actually take off as a mega-trend. But Jobs has also quickly shot down talk of an Apple-produced competitor to Amazon's Kindle, which has been interpreted as a sign Apple was doing just that.

However, tablet PCs in the Windows world haven't sold very well, and the concept has almost completely fallen off the radar screen of the PC industry.

News source: CNET

#1 LTD on 31 Dec 2008 - 18:29

Juicy!

#2 Trong on 31 Dec 2008 - 19:00

Ohhhhhh interesting!

(3 replies) #3 realmccoy on 31 Dec 2008 - 20:39

sounds pricey

#3.1 Airlink on 01 Jan 2009 - 19:32

Of course, it's from Apple. Apple doesn't do "affordable."
They do "Ridiculously Expensive" and "Vastly Overpriced."

#3.2 JoeC on 01 Jan 2009 - 21:35

Quite often, both at the same time.

#3.3 iamwhoiam on 04 Jan 2009 - 06:46

It'll be made in China for pennies on the dollar and sold at astronomical prices compared to what it was made for and every Apple person will jump up and down for joy and claim that it's the second greatest thing next to the birth of Steve Jobs.

#4 Electric Bolt on 01 Jan 2009 - 00:01

Juicy and interesting and pricey!

#5 atari800 on 01 Jan 2009 - 00:32

bah...cooler stuff will be out there

(2 replies) #6 Digix on 01 Jan 2009 - 02:57

if they can make this and use traditional hard drives you could see 40-60-80-120GB size with round same price as current ipod touches. of course would be slightly thicker and heavier but would be interesting none the less.

I just hope if anything they can add GPS for at least something extra and good in it.

#6.1 lexa000 on 01 Jan 2009 - 23:52

The problem you would run into here is that 3.5" generally need more power to run, so you would also have a heftier battery, which would in turn make the device even chunkier. I could be wrong, but I thought that Apple were into sleek, skinny and sexy devices, I couldn't imagine them producing a touchscreen brick.

#6.2 Digix on 02 Jan 2009 - 09:30

lexa000 said,

That's true... 7-9" is very large so eh... i dunno if anyone would want a normal ipod that big.

#7 brent3000 on 01 Jan 2009 - 10:22

same **** diffrent size

#8 gnuman on 02 Jan 2009 - 13:56

It's going to be the rebirth of the Newton!

#9 MightyJordan on 03 Jan 2009 - 20:49

This doesn't sound like a tablet, more like a competitor to Archos. Looks Apple is trying to corner every section of the MP3 player market.

#10 wellslogan on 09 Jan 2009 - 02:31

I don't know... I think I'll buy the MacBook Wheel first...

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